Forum answers V
Round five of the questions and answers. Looks like there's at least one more to go...
-----
Questions: 1. What "Inside the Kings" poster would you like to be partners in crime with for a day? finishing off with a few beers and a game.
2. What poster would you like to put in a headlock then proceed with a Indian burn?
Clarification: Both questions above are meant in good humor.
3. What is a secondary interest after sports?
This may be a loaded question but,
4. What's your take on DL's hockey intelligence?
5. What do other GM's around the league think about him? I guess my point here is, are they impressed with what he's doing and consider him a tough foe or do they look at him in the opposite light?
Answers: 1) There are so many great people that it would have to be a big table. Mostly I just want to know how Quisp has so much information at his fingertips. 2) Honestly, nobody. The registration system for posting has weeded out most of the anonymous cowards. 3) I suppose it's too obvious to say writing, but I don't just mean sportswriting. Fiction writing, stuff for fun. 4-5) I really don't know how to answer either of those questions. For me to judge Lombardi's ``hockey intelligence'' would be to assume that I have more hockey intelligence than he does, and can somehow judge. I can't. I also can't speak to what other GMs think of Lombardi, other than that I know he has a couple close friends in the GM ranks and I don't know of any that he hates, or vice versa.
-----
Questions: What is the likelihood that Derek Armstrong will return? What is the likelihood that you will be able to make frequent posts to this, I assume, Daily News owned blog if the paper runs into further trouble?
Answers: 1) Not great, I don't think, but we'll see what happens after July 1. I suppose it's possible that the Kings would be open to signing him to some type of Jon Klemm-style deal, which wouldn't be had. 2) All I can tell you is that as long as I'm employed here, I'll still be maintaining the blog as much as possible. It certainly gets more challenging, as our resources get cut and I have to do more and more other things, but the financial situation seems to be stabilizing (knock on wood) a bit, but that's encouraging.
-----
Question: It would be interesting to get an idea of what the King players do in the off-season Do they go back to their native land? What do they do to prepare for next season? What kind off=season regiment/conditioning program do they implement? Do they do anything to give back to the community? In the same way you broke down each player in your player evaluations at the end of the year, a little blurb on as many players off season lives would be a fun way to pass the long summer months.
Answer: That sounds like a good ``How did you spend your summer vacation?'' feature at the start of training camp. It's pretty difficult to keep track of 25 guys and know what they're doing all the time. Safe to say that they're spread out all over the continent and the globe. As I said in response to a previous question, most guys take a little time off, then get going on their regular workout regimen. More and more players seem to be staying in L.A. for the summer, and many others come and go. Jack Johnson, for instance, is taking classes at the University of Michigan this summer but also said he intended to be back in L.A. at different points.
-----
Question: What 2 DMEN and Forward prospects do you expect to come out of camp, and why?
Answer: Kind of went through that one before, in terms of it being almost impossible to predict. I'm not even sure that four prospects -- at least those previously not in the NHL -- will crack the roster. In fact, I'd probably bet against it. Trevor Lewis has a good chance, and then perhaps one of the young defensemen.
-----
Question: After the trade deadline, when is the soonest a team can make a trade? I always thought you couldn't make trades after the deadline until after the Stanley Cup, but with all these rumors, it seems maybe it is possible. I've read a lot that it is just a roster freeze through the playoffs and that teams can trade at any time, they just won't be on the other team's roster until the next season. Also, is there a restriction on trading if you are still alive in the playoffs? And moreso than anything, is it just taboo to make a trade during the playoffs or is there an actual rule against this?
Answer: There is a trade embargo that is lifted once the playoffs are over. All teams can now resume trading.
-----
Questions: 1.) Will you be attending the draft party?
2.) What would you do to make the Kings a playoff team in detail.? I would love to see you outline an offseason agenda full of 1st and 2nd and even the infamous " plan C" from a couple years back. I think people would really get a kick out of it. You are levelheaded and have somewhat privelaged information and it would make for a great read.
Answers: 1) No. The ``draft party'' is actually just a ``watch party'' at the ESPN Zone. The restaurant is hosting it but the Kings are assisting, from what I understand. I'll be at the team office, where they will be doing the interviews, etc. 2) First, I'd ask you to clarify this. Am I simply putting together a playoff team for 2009-10, or are you worried about the years beyond that? Because it would be pretty simple to put a playoff team together for one season. Ship out all the prospects and draft picks and bring in two veteran scorers, two defensemen and a goalie. There's the playoffs. The rub lies in the same thing that Lombardi deals with. You want the team to succeed in the present without jeopardizing the future. Lombardi's moves are obvious, in my opinion. He needs to bring in two scorers. The problem is, I don't know if I see the right guys out there this summer. A guy like Gaborik can be had in free agency. Guys like Gomez and Briere can be had in trades. Is that really the long-term answer? It might be to hang tight for a year.
-----
Questions: 1) Frozen Fury tickets just went on pre-sale. Any way we can lure you to Vegas Rich? I know you said the timing is bad, but come on, its Vegas, and its the Kings. Work and play. You know we will all take good care of you!
2) We know Dean was very high on Teubert this time last year. Do you get any sense that DL has soured on him after his troubled season?
3) With rumors running rampant, put all those aside and tell us, what does LA Kings GM Rich Hammond do this offseason? What does your starting roster look like for 09-10?
4) Can you ask Lombardi directly if the rebuild phase is over?
5) Any idea which prospects Dean went to visit at their homes after the combine?
6) Who is your favorite comedian?
Answers: 1) Saturdays in the fall are usually rough for me. I'd really like to go for Vegas. Perhaps I can come up for Friday night or something like that. 2) No, I don't think so. How he looks, acts and performs in training camp is much more important. 3) If I could add Heatley without giving up the farm, I'd do it. If Kovalchuk suddenly became available, I would give up the farm. Otherwise, unless a name emerges that I haven't heard about at this moment, I'd stand pat in terms of making a ``big move.'' 4) I could, but I'll tell you right now exactly what the answer will be. He will say that the process is never over, and that you're always managing your roster and trying to maintain a balance between youth and experience and keep the reserve list strong. It's safe to say, though, that the focus has shifted. No longer are the Kings singularly focused on getting younger and building the reserve list. 5) No, he wouldn't tip his hand like that. 6) Good question. Probably Louis Black, among living comedians at least.
-----
Question: With everything going on with rumors and things right now. Everybody seems to go straight to Frolov as one of the people we would possibly trade. My question is: the Kings are in dire need of a left winger. As of right now, Frolov is probably our highest scoring legit left winger. So tell me, am I wrong in saying it makes no sense for the Kngs to trade him. If so, please help me make some sense out of why people think that is a "smart" move.
Answer: I can't speak for everyone, but as far as I'm concerned, it would only a smart move if a) the players coming back, in a theoretical trade, are substantially better (that one is obvious) or b) the Kings are fairly convinced that they're going to lose Frolov as a free agent next summer and get nothing. Again, it goes back to short term vs. long term, and that's what Lombardi has to weigh.
24 Comments
Leave a comment
About the bloggers
Rich Hammond has covered the Kings, on a full-time or part-time basis, since the 2000-01 season. He was the beat writer for the entire John Torchetti era and has witnessed Bob Miller singing country music in a Nashville honky-tonk bar. A native of Los Angeles, Rich has worked at the Daily News since 1999 and also serves as the paper's deputy sports editor. E-mail Rich at rich.hammond@dailynews.com.
Jill Painter joined the Daily News in 2000 and during the last eight years she's covered the Dodgers, Cal State Northridge, UCLA, Kings, golf and everything in between. Even though she's from Colorado, she still freezes in the Staples Center press box but always manages to thaw her fingers in time to make deadline. E-mail Jill at jill.painter@dailynews.com.
Frolov is not only our highest scoring left winger, he's our only left-winger. Calder is UFA and I keep assuming he's not going to be re-signed. Ivanans is a LW, sort of, so that covers 7min of ice time. The left side for the entire organization looks essentially like this:
Frolov
Ivanans
Moulson
Parse
Wudrick
King
Clune
Not that a natural right wing can't play the left side, as happens all the time. But remember Brown in particular gave himself fits as a RW. Purcell can do it. Maybe Lewis. King and Moulson are left shots. Loktionov is too, though at least for Windsor he plays on the right side when he skates as a winger (on the power play; the rest of the time he's a center).
If the Kings trade Frolov, the top of the depth chart on left wing is Ivanans. No one else has played more than 22 games in the NHL (Moulson). None of the others have played in the NHL yet.
p.s. the Kings official site has Frolov listed as a right handed right winger.
Rich,
Do you know anything about the business side of the Kings operations?
How is the team doing financially? Is Luc doing a good job as a President?
I have heard the NHL has been giving money to teams so that they could continue to operate. Just like the Coyotes have been operated by the NHL for a year now?
Are the Kings operating with assistance of the NHL $$$?
Thanks.
Rich- This came up in other question about what GM's think of DL. You said there are some he seems friendly with and none he hates. I would agree. In fact it seems there are some that he regulary "dances" with when it comes to trades. Especially when they're trades that improve LA but also fall in the category of helping a fellow GM out. I'm not saying they're bad trades but I look at the O'Donnell deal as an example. We'll never know but I look at that deal as DL thinking, "We needed a veteran D-guy and we could get someone else but hey this guy is a former King, fits what I need and I know Brian your in a jam. So I know by helping you out and myself too we'll be back at it again in some other deal."
In that group I would include Brian Burke along w/ his old Philly buds. Do you agree w/ that idea?
Second, assuming Burke is a regular dance partner care to speculate on all the news that Burke wants to move up in draft to possible bag the other Schenn kid? A TSN mock draft shows LA taking Schenn.
I guess my question is what Toronto offers up in exchange. Any credence though to my theory that there is a Burke-DL relationship that could help build a deal that otherwise wouldn't occur absent that relationship.
On a side note as is seems to be slowing down in here..lol The King Rumors just keep getting better, Now it's JJ + prospects and picks to OTT for Heater then our 5th to Philly for??? I can hear the Philly conspiracies starting now...lol
This is gonna be a great couple weeks, it just keeps getting funner the read all this stuff... Can't wait to see what actually happens
How do you predict the top 5 picks (in order from one to five) and assuming the KINGS do not trade the pick?
here is my predictions
1.John Tavares
2.Victor Hedman
3.Matt Duchene
4.Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi
5 Evander Kane
Here's mine:
Tavares
Hedman
Duchene
Kane
Schenn
Cowan
MSRP
quisp, why do you like Schenn over MSP(MSP is very fast LW and LHS)?
quisp, why do you like Schenn over MSP(MSP is very fast LW and LHS)?
What I think will happen:
Tavares
Hedman
Duchene
Kane
Schenn
Cowen
What I hope will happen:
Tavares
Hedman
Duchene
MPS
Kane
Schenn
Cowen
I'll be happy with Schenn or MPS, but the thought of a more offensively gifted, meaner version of Brown in Kane sounds absolutely incredible... Probably too good to be true.
stevebone,
I like Schenn more than MSP also, like Quisp. Even though I am a swede. I think we need a center like Schenn in the long run, and he is more gifted than MPS in my opinion. MPS maybe is more NHL ready at this stage, but Schenn has a higher ceeling of what I heard..
And...its MPS not MSP or MSRP.. His name is Magnus Pääjärvi-Svensson..
Rich, just wanted to say that I couldn't agree more with your comments above as to what you feel would be "appropriate" for the Kings to do this off season. Like yourself, there is just no one who really stands out to me. Gaborik, Briere, Gomez, etc. Gomer has barely done alright in NY, never mind with his laid back attitude living in LA.... and with that huge contract. I'm even less sold on Heatley than you for reasons I've enumerated in prior postings.... but listening to nhl radio there were a whole lot of people who were less than impressed with his request to leave Ottawa after just signing a new contract. I don't see where TM's approach would thrill him (in a different way) any more than the current Ottawa coach. So I agree absolutely that I'd wait a year.... though I somehow expect that DL won't wait - but we might be surprised.
Schenn can play in his own end. He has the element of toughness that the Kings would benefit from. He is also a go to player when the games become tougher (playoff hockey). He was a good scorer this past regular season, but during the playoffs he went off with a one and one half points per game average. Finally, he is probably the youngest player in the draft and he already 6' 200 (Dustin Brown size). He will be ready to be a second line center in a couple of years or about the same time Kopi is ready for 1st line duty. I would select him before Kane and Duchene or MPS. Note: Kane is also very young and his body will likely develop. Second note: I think Burke wants to trade with Atlanta to take Schenn (he does not have the ammo to get into the top 3), so my hope may be gone.
I also would pick Cowen over MPS. I posted this time last year that I hope we get the second pick again so that we can select him in the 09 draft. He is huge and can skate well enough that the little jets can not turn the corner on him. The knee is a concern, but it seems DL does his due diligence on injuries.
based on interviews, organizational needs/prospect holes, and a hunch, this is what i see happening in the top 10:
1 Tavares
2 Hedman
3 Duchene
4 Kane
5 Cowen
6 MPS
7 Schenn
8 Kulikov
9 Kassian
10 Ekman-Larsson (or ellis)
If I'm DL and don't move the #5 pick for (insert your guess here _______) Smyth, Gagne, Marleau or Heatley I trade with Colorado to get Duchene. I can't help but think that Kopitar and Duchene down the middle looks good for years to come, better than Kopitar/Schenn. Otherwise I hope Burke trades with Atlanta to get Schenn so Kane falls to us or I guess I could have said I agree with Jet on that. 9 more days.
DL should grab either Kane, Schenn, or MPS, unless he deals the pick to bring in a big gun.
Having Kane would be similar to having a younger Brown at center.
MPS would give us a skilled LW with size.
Having Schenn is similar to having Kane, with maybe a bit less offensive upside.
If he feels we're still a ways away from contending, save the cap space and draft with the 5th.
I don't know if you're still taking questions or not Rich, but if you are do you think there's any possibility the Kings don't make any major moves in the offseason? I.E. they don't trade the #5 pick or trade or sign a goal scoring forward? I just have this sneaking suspicion that Dean Lombardi & Terry Murray think this team is better then the fans do.
-J, why? Cowen is a D-Man, I think we're covered in D prospects (unless JMFJ gets traded). Right?
With the imminent need of a LW and given MPS' development level, I would assume (hope) that the KINGS land him over Schenn or Kane.
Look what Kopitar did when he first played here, he came out of the Swedish League, too. The KINGS could then build and develop a true LW on their own, Frolov's contract is up next year...
Anyway, here's my 2 Cents IF I were Lombardi for a day:
1Tavares
2Hedman
3Kane
4Duchene
5MPS
6Schenn
7Cowen
Though I think that Tampa Bay will try very hard to either trade up or somehow land Tavares - Stamkos and Tavares are going to be a sick duo in the years to come.
Don't know if this was posted already as I've been away, but here's a link to HF's Kings draft preview.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/11267/kings2009_draft_preview/
Interesting, they also see the Kings going for Cowen.
Re Schenn v. MSRP:
I was responding to the question what will happen, not what do I want to happen. Right now I think DL will pick Schenn. I think I personally prefer MSRP (due to his rotating initials, I am sticking with MSRP, which of course stands for Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) unless he turns out to be Aki Berg, in which case I don't. As was pointed out by the blog Battle of California, Schenn is a DL kind of player. That makes sense to me. I wouldn't rule out DL selecting Cowan, however. We may be stocked with D, but that doesn't mean we don't need more. DL may well think Cowan is the best available player. He was frequently spoken of as top five before his injury. If DL does think Cowan is the best choice, he may well trade down to seven to pick him. Or maybe he just takes Cowan at 5.
My favorite is Kane, but there's no way he drops to 5, unless Atlanta is nuts. I kind of wouldn't mind if DL swapped picks with ATL to take Kane.
Dom, this is just part of my reasoing:
1st- draft the best player available- IMO, based on what I've seen of these guys this year and last, Cowen is the best player not named Hedman or Tavares. Yes, I think he's presently on par or better than Duchene. His injury is the only reason his stock dropped.
2nd- you can never have too many blue-chip defenceman in your system. They are much harder to aquire than forwards and at the very least are very valuable trade prospects.
As for MPS- MPS has time left on his contract with Timra so don't expect any help from him on the left side next year. Moreover, don't expect any of these players to make the team next year so they are not going to help on offence. Expecting MPS to fill Frolov's shoes even a year down the road is probably unrealistic at best.
I could see Lombardi drafting Cowan, especially if he feels he'll be packaging Hickey in a deal.
Here's another question, and this should spark some discussion. And let me say I'm 100% against this. Any chance Dean Lombardi would try to sign Mike Camalleri when hits the market?
Okay, who has the better back end? The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburg Penguins, or the Kings?
Fleury---------Quick
Gonchar--------Doughty
Letang---------Quincy
Orpik----------Greene
Scuderi--------O'Donnell
Eaton----------Johnson
Gill-----------Drewsky/Gauthier
Or probably the better question, how far off are the Kings?